Bessie Pothos was born in Sacramento on June 20, 1925. Bessie's sister, Mary Vasos, was born in Sacramento on December 9, 1928. They are the daughters of Greek immigrant parents. Their mother, Athena Kokkinis, emigrated from a village called Piali in Paratonia, the southern part of Greece. She was born in 1896. Bessie and Mary's father was born in a village called Agianarina Marina in Rouneli, the north central area of Greece. Their father immigrated to the United States in 1908, with Athena following in 1923. When they arrived in America, they worked their way across the country by working on the rail lines. In Sacramento, they opened a series of bakeries, which all closed during the Depression. During that time Athena worked at the Del Monte cannery and the girls' father worked odd jobs. As they grew older Mary and Bessie both married and stayed in the Sacramento area. Mary worked for the Department of Justice as a secretary while Bessie's occupation is not stated in the interview
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